This invention relates generally to an operating mechanism for an electrical switch and more specifically to a device which is operative to periodically alter the time of operation of said switch in a random fashion.
There are many applications where a random time interval may be useful. For example, in complex systems wherein the occurrance of random events may impinge to deleteriously alter the results of the system operation, a randomly switched signal may be useful for test purposes. Another use of a random switching mechanism is in the control of lights in an unoccupied building to give the illusion that the lights are being operated by the occupants, thereby discouraging burglary attempts.
Prior art motor driven switch operating mechanisms are well known in the art. Residential light switching devices having a timer mechanism are commercially available. However, all such prior art devices operate on a fixed interval basis. That is, when set, the lights are turned on at a given time each evening and turned off at a given time each morning, or at some other previously determined fixed interval. Typical of such prior art is the invention described in the Gruber Pat. No. 3,748,490.